The present invention relates generally to a portable air conditioning device, and in particular to a device having a battery powered fan, mounted in the lid of the ice chest, which forces a stream of air into the ice chest, across the contents and through a vent in the lid. The invention also includes means to mount a rechargeable battery pack, for powering the fan, on the outside of the ice chest.
Various combinations of a fan and a reservoir of ice and/or cold water have been used to generate a stream of cool air. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,972,231 and 2,207,956, an electric fan blows air upward past a reservoir containing cold water, to cool a room.
Ice-cooled air conditioners are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,841,742 and 5,197,301. A fan or blower forces air through ducts, which are in contact with a reservoir of ice. The air conditioning units are designed to be portable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,281 discloses an air conditioning device designed to be used with a cup of ice water (or hot water). A lid containing a blower assembly, namely a fan, batteries and air exit vent, is fitted over the top of the cup. The fan forces air into the cup and out through the exit vent. A palm-sized air conditioning device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,819. A battery powered fan blows air past cubes of ice, to generate a cool air stream. The units are capable of handling only a small volume of air.
A portable air conditioning system comprising a fan, a radiator and an ice chest containing chilled water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,165. A pump submerged in the ice chest circulates the chilled water through the radiator. Air is drawn through the radiator by a fan to create a cool air stream.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,401,483 B1 and 6,571,568 B1 disclose inserts containing a fan and a vent, which are supported on a ledge inside of an ice chest. The fan or blower forces air into the ice chest containing chilled water (or hot water) and out the vent. The inserts are provided with an adapter, which can be connected to a vehicle's cigarette lighter, for 12 volt DC power. When such inserts are used in the ice chest with a hinged lid, the lid must be propped open, which increases the amount of space required to operate the device. Alternatively, if the lid of the ice chest is detached when the device is in operation, the lid must be stored out of the way.
The prior art systems suffer from one or more of the following shortcomings: complex construction, such as the incorporation of ductwork and passageways through the cooling (or heating) medium, or the use of a pump to circulate the cooling medium through a radiator. Many of the devices lack portability. The air conditioning apparatus providing an “insert” for an existing ice chest, necessarily involve an extra component, and are typically restricted in compatibility to a particular size and brand of ice chest. Further, inserts that fit on a shelf inside the ice chest, reduce the working space within the ice chest.